THE ABSENT

CRIPPLED HEARTS

SOLIDARITY WITH THE FLESH EATING MOSAIC AND OTHER POEMS by Raj Dronamraju

Out Now

THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT NINNY AND OTHER POEMS by Raj Dronamraju

My first book of poetry available through Amazon and other online booksellers www.rajbooks.com

Thursday, March 12, 2015

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT INDIA'S DAUGHTER

While I think the documentary INDIA’S
DAUGHTER was well-intentioned, it has some serious flaws. I agree with the
article linked below. You can’t separate the problem of rape in India from
class and economic oppression. It’s not a stand alone problem. Also I agree
with feminists in India who have criticized the film as being patriarchal (the
title) and also felt a little condescending in a “white man’s burden” type of
way. Overall, I found it an oversimplification....However, those problems
pale in comparison to a really big one. While the director denies this,
numerous witnesses have spoken up that the rapist who talks on camera was paid
money for the interview. That is completely unacceptable and I believe it
violates the law as well! If that was the case, criminal charges should be
filed.

Also I’ve seen a lot of outrage
online about the comments of the rapists’ defense attorney in the documentary.
His comments are indeed ugly and reprehensible but that is the job of the
defense attorney – to get his client off or at least avoid the death penalty....If
you are offended by this, I would like to tell you a story....In the US state
of Arkansas in 1975, a man was charged with raping a 12 year old girl. The
defense attorney who represented the man was able to get a reduced
sentence by impugning the integrity, sexual history, and behavior of the 12
year old girl as well as having evidence excluded on a technicality (including
the girls bloody underwear). In audio tapes of an interview conducted after the
trial, the attorney laughed about getting her client off and the fact he passed
a polygraph. She said “it made her lose her faith in polygraphs”. Ugly?
Disgusting? And who was the defense attorney in question? Why Hillary Clinton
of course! I think if one feels so strongly about defense attorneys, then we
can all agree Hillary Clinton is not fit to be president but that’s a topic for
another post.